Green Tears
by ectophandom
Summary: Green has a different connotation for each person. Some see the color as jealousy, others see it as sickness. For anyone who ever knew Danny Fenton, the color green represents sadness. Well, for most that have met Danny, that is. One person was able to turn those tears of sadness into ones of happiness. Rated T for mild gore, dark themes, and abuse mention. Full summary inside
1. Prologue

Just after The Ultimate Enemy, Danny's life is turned upside down. First, it was the feeling of dread associated with his powers. Everything he did reminded him of what he might become. Then, it was the people around him. They were all so supportive, and they definitely didn't deserve what he put them through.

Most of all though, there was the disappointment in their eyes he could see through their metallic goggles when they found out. He couldn't even try to remember what had happened. The mention of it caused a ripple of emotions to course through his veins. It was like he was pressing that button all over again, a shock wave sending dread throughout his bones. Danny couldn't take it anymore. The only constant in his life anymore were the green tears he cried himself to sleep with.

* * *

 **Hey guys, this is my fourth DP story, I think. I'm really excited about this one, a friend of mine helped be work out some really cool ideas. Quick warning - there will be mild blood/gore, as well swearing, abuse mentions, and some really dark thoughts included, so if any of these are triggers for you, then this story isn't for you. Thanks!**

 **(Also, I don't own Danny Phantom, or any of the characters mentioned in this** **story)**


	2. Tucker

_Tucker's POV_

* * *

Danny's breathing was labored as he flew into Tucker's window. His black suit was tattered and stained with green and red streaks. Ectoplasm and blood. Tucker turned away, biting his lip to keep from gasping at the wounds evident through the holes in Danny's suit.

"Tuck, I'm sorry to show up so late, but I couldn't bother Sam, her parents would freak out . . . " Danny floated over to Tucker's bed, which Tucker had just previously been sitting on while doing some late night homework. The alarm clock near his bed read 12:41 am, which he was only able to see because of the light, pulsating glow Danny's ghostly form gave off. His green eyes reminded him of headlights, wrapping Tucker's bedroom in a pale green glow. His snow white hair was a mess, matted with a gruesome mixture of dirt, blood, and ectoplasm.

"I- it's fine, dude," Tucker tried not to let his worry for his friend show. Lately, Danny had been risking more. He'd been staying up later on patrol, refusing other ghost hunters like the Red Huntress cover for him, and even venturing into the ghost zone in an attempt to get the ghost attacks to cease.

On top of that, Tucker had noticed that Danny had become incredibly thin. Every once in a while, when Danny was fighting a ghost, stretching, or even just talking at school, his ribs would show, poking through whatever shirt he had on. He had started to eat less and less, which nobody except for Tucker seemed to notice. Even Sam, who seemed to care about Danny on a deeper level than most everyone else, didn't take notice. At least not that Tucker could see. Tucker was Danny's best friend; he couldn't remember a time that that wasn't true. Suddenly, his best friend was slipping through his fingers, and he couldn't do anything about it.

He'd tried confronting Danny about it over and over again, but every time he started to say something to him, the words died in his mouth. He couldn't look Danny in the eyes - whether they were icy blue or electric green - and tell him that he was worried about him. So he instead let the worry build up in his chest. He tried not to look at the scars covering Danny's body every time Tucker and Sam were helping patch him up after a ghost fight. He tried not to look at his chest, growing thinner and more bruised and battered each day. Tucker's best friend was dying all over again. He'd already witnessed his death once, and he didn't want to witness it again.

Watching Danny go into that portal was the worst thing Tucker had ever seen. He didn't think he would ever get that piercing scream out of his head, or the way he saw his best friend come out of the portal with green smoke curling off of him. The moment he saw those glowing green eyes and that snow white hair, Tucker thought he'd killed him. _I was the one who forced him to go in there_ , Tucker had thought, _I killed him_.

Danny was alright, though, for a few months after the accident. Actually, the trio thought that it wasn't an accident - it was a gift. Sure, Danny's grades slipped a little more than before, and his sleep schedule was thrown out the window, but Danny was happier. His life had a meaning. For once in his life, Danny felt like he belonged. But as soon as Danny met his evil future self, the 'gift' seemed to go sour. Danny began to believe that his life didn't have any meaning, because he didn't have a real life. He looked at everything around him like a ghost would; with longing and dread. Like he was looking at something he could never enjoy. His eyes became sad and tired, as if he'd given up on trying to fit in somewhere he clearly thought he didn't belong.

Of course, Tucker knew Danny was wrong. His best friend was a hero. He saved people everyday, and yet somehow managed to live a normal life as well. But as soon as Danny overlooked the victories, he began to spiral downhill. He seemed to believe that he'd reached his peak - his expiration date - and suddenly, he'd become useless. Tucker knew the truth. He knew that Danny would never turn into that _thing_ they'd fought. That wasn't Danny. That wasn't his best friend.

Tucker thought about all of this while he bandaged Danny's bleeding chest. He gulped, looking away from the scars. He tried to ignored the evident feeling of Danny's ribs. He tried to ignore the wet, cold feeling of ectoplasm and blood drenching his hands while he put the final bandages on the damaged chest.

"What happened?" Tucker asked, trying his best not to let the concern leak into his voice.

Danny gritted his teeth, as the bandages probably hurt when applied. Once Tucker finally finished, Danny transformed back into his human form instead of answering.

Usually, whenever Danny transformed, all visible wounds would disappear. Well . . . at least they physically would disappear. They would continue to hurt and strain Danny, even while in his human form. However, this time when Danny transformed into his human form, he still had noticeable wounds. His lip was split, which it hadn't been just previous to his transformation. Additionally, he had a black eye and a large cut across his cheek.

Tucker gasped. "Who . . . what did this to you? Was it Dash?" his voice began to fill with anger.

"No, Tuck, it wasn't Dash . . . " Danny trailed off.

"Then who was it?" Tucker asked again. Danny's icy eyes fell to the ground. "Danny?" he asked more gently now.

"I can't," Danny's eyes welled up with tears. "I can't, I'm sorry, but I can't."

"You can't what? Danny? What happened?" Tucker tried to stay calm while his best friend broke. The whimper Danny let out broke Tucker's heart. He didn't know what to do or what to say, so he simply put his arm around his friend. "You want me to walk you home?"

Danny's eyes widened, still locked on the ground. "No. Not there, I'm no going back, you can't make me. Please, they hate me, it's all my fault. I can't disappoint them anymore," he rambled.

Tucker's vision became red when the realization finally hit. No ghost did this, the Fentons did. They beat their own son. They finally got what they'd always wanted - they knew who the ghost boy was. That was the only way to explain the marks on Danny in his human form. Tucker tried to keep himself from shaking with rage. _You have to be calm_ , Tucker's eyes wandered to his friend, _f_ or _his sake_.

"You can stay with me, ok? I've got some extra blankets in the closet, and I'm pretty sure we can sneak you in and out of here without my parents asking questions, alright? Sound good?" Tucker's voice didn't betray him. He somehow managed to not burst out yelling.

Danny solemnly nodded his head, a single tear dripping down his face. It landed on Tucker's hand, and upon closer inspection, he realized that the tear was green.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - done! This will be a relatively short story with a few chapters. Let me just explain the structure so that it doesn't get too confusing:**

 **So each chapter will be from a different person's POV, and it will be traveling in a cohesive timeline (meaning it won't skip around chronologically)**

 **I'm really excited about this one, so go ahead and review any ideas / comments / opinions / suggestions, I'd love to hear what you guys have to say!**

 **~Ashtyn**


	3. Mr Lancer

_Mr. Lancer's POV_

* * *

Lancer liked all of his students. Sure, of course he did. But some of then intrigued him more than others. Danny Fenton was one of the students that made him question his entire style of thinking.

The young boy would show up every day with his friends, as if nothing was wrong. It was as if there was never anything wrong with them. Their entire presence in Lancer's classroom was so . . . rehearsed. And at the center of whatever act the trio was pulling off was him. Danny Fenton. Nothing quite added up with that boy.

He showed up late to class consistently. Often times, Lancer would find young Fenton nodding off. Just a few months ago, during the first month of the school year, Danny seemed to be a better student than he'd become more recently. He would try his best to pay attention. Lancer would look at him and see that he was at least giving his best effort. And then, everything changed.

Danny came back one day after a weekend acting particularly jumpy. Everything seemed to be terrifying to him. It was like he'd woken up in a whole new world. And then, part way through the class, Danny nearly ran out of the door, throwing out a quick "I have to go to the bathroom!" before leaving. It had never happened before, but Lancer just figured it had to be a rare occurrence. All students acted out of the ordinary every once in a while; it was a normal part of high school. But this was different. After that weekend, Danny's entire ordinary changed. Everything he did was more deliberate, as if he was constantly planning. The actions Danny took were more intelligent. His eyes were more analytical. He viewed the world like a puzzle. Quite frankly, it intrigued Lancer.

Here was a student who had before struggled to see the abstract, suddenly looking around him with new eyes. Lancer believed it was a breakthrough. Whatever happened that weekend changed him. Lancer was expecting a completely new Danny, one who would be able to do better on tests without trying nearly as hard. But wow, was Lancer wrong.

Danny's first test after his sudden change was an exciting test for Lancer, even though he would never admit it to the boy. Grading it was surprising, and not in a good way. Over half of the answers were wrong. It was like Danny hadn't even read the book! Lancer immediately got in touch with Danny's parent and sister, talking to them about Danny's first F in his class. The test was a big deal. Not just that, but Danny's failure was a big deal as well. Something was obviously up.

His parents didn't seem particularly upset about their son's recent test grade. If Lancer remembered correctly, Jack Fenton went as far as to say, "He doesn't need to graduate to be a ghost hunter!"

Even though Danny began to fall asleep in class and to let his grades slip, Lancer still could recognize that something amazing had happened. Danny had a new love for life. Sure, as a teacher, Lancer was supposed to be upset that Danny would leave class without explanation, come into class late, and end up falling asleep half of the time, but something deep inside of him told him that whatever the young student was doing was important. How the life of a high school freshman could be that important, Lancer didn't quite know. But something was going on, and Lancer didn't know how to handle it.

The times Danny was in class and managed to be awake, he was a profound student. His ideas were simply amazing. As far as literary intelligence went, Danny had to be the most advanced in the class. He had a whole new way of viewing the world around him, as if he had a deeper understanding of everything that was happening. Sometimes, Danny even stumped Lancer with his sophisticated questions. But when it came to testing, Danny did poorly. Luckily, Lancer held and graded enough class discussions to bring him up to a C average, but Lancer knew that Danny was more than capable of getting straight A's. When it came down to it, the only reason Danny didn't do well was because he didn't do the reading.

Lancer knew that something was up when Danny became more and more distracted during class. The moment he knew things were getting truly serious was when the limping, heavy breathing, and obviously sore muscles began. Danny, from what Lancer knew, was not athletic. So why was he suddenly showing up to class injured? It seemed like around the time he began show up to class injured and distracted was the same time things appeared to get more . . . serious might be the best word.

Danny would talk less with his friends, Samantha Manson and Tucker Foley. He smiled less. His shoulders sagged more, and his overall appearance grew more and more strained. Something had broken Danny's spirit, and it was quite obvious to Lancer. Everything about his outlook on life grew more negative. Danny refrained from participating in group discussions, and would barely even look up from his lap.

What really threw Lancer off was when Danny showed up to class one day with a black eye, a large gash across his face, and a split lip. Although Danny had obviously been injured before, it was never physically visible. His entire demeanor was broken, tired, and utterly depressed. Danny came to class with Tucker in rumpled clothes, as if they were his only set. That day during class, Danny came into the classroom and immediately laid his head down on his desk. He was right on time, and he didn't leave during the middle of class.

Lancer should've been ecstatic. One of his most unmanageable students had finally become . . . well . . . manageable. But honestly, Lancer couldn't be more disappointed. Something had obviously happened, and he believed is was for the worst.

Lancer thought about this while he picked up the phone next to his desk. Class had just gotten out, and Lancer intended on calling Danny's parents in an attempt to figure out exactly what had happened.

Phone in hand, he walked over to the desk Danny had just been in.

"Hello?" a feminine voice asked from the other end. "Mr. Lancer? Is this about Danny? Do you know where he is?!"

"I . . . " something cut Lancer off mid sentence. He stopped next to Danny's desk, his finger trailing across the top, a collection of faintly glowing green tears glittering on his finger.

* * *

 **What do you think? Sorry for ending it a little cliffy, but that's kind of my writing style.**

 **So, I have a schedule laid out about when I want to update (because I'm currently almost done with this, but I still have to edit my finished chapters). I was thinking about twice a week, but I can't tell you for sure which days I'm thinking. So . . . stay tuned!**

 **I already have a review! Yay! Thank you so much, your comment means so, so much to me. Idk who you are because it says you're a guest, but thank you!**

 **I'll try and update soon!**

 **~ Ashtyn**


	4. Jack

Jack's POV

* * *

Maddie continued to talk on the phone with Mr. Lancer while Jack while his wife with wide eyes. She hung up, tears glittering in her lavender eyes.

"Well?" Jack asked, his heart racing.

Maddie shook her head, leaning into Jack's chest while she began to sob. "My baby. I hurt my baby, Jack!"

"Maddie . . . " Jack trailed off. He didn't know what to say. He closed his eyes, trying to keep himself from remembering that night in the lab. All he's seen on the inside of his eyelids for the past two days was the terrified look on his son's face while he -

 _No_ , Jack told himself, _you're not doing this again._

Jack had, on some level, realized that something was up with Danny. All that ever crossed his mind, though, was that maybe he had finally found his passion for ghost hunting. Well, looks like it was actually quite the opposite. Jack still couldn't believe everything he'd done to his own _son_. Had he known it was him, Jack would've never, _ever_ , said or done the things he had.

Branded in his mind was the picture of the ghost boy - Danny Phantom. His snow white hair and glowing green eyes had always seemed so hostile - vicious. How could they be his son's? How could Jack have ever figured it out if the incident in the lab hadn't happened just days ago.

 _Because you're his father_ , Jack thought solemnly, still holding his crying wife.

"We," Maddie sniffled, "we have to go talk to Mr. Lancer. He saw Danny in class today, and called us because he was worried."

"He- he saw Danny?!" Jack asked excitedly. The effort he'd put into coming up with an apology wasn't wasted. Jack would be able to find his son, and make things right. "And what about Jazz? Does he know where Jazz is?"

Maddie shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes while she continued to lean up against Jack. "No, she was absent from school today. She must've run away. I can't even imagine how she must be feeling, Jack. She must've known, and she watched us hurt him. Jack, both our babies are gone," Maddie began to sob again.

"Hey, we didn't know, ok? We didn't do anything on purpose," Jack was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince his wife.

Ignoring him, Maddie got up from the couch, fixing her appearance in a mirror hanging on the wall before turning back to Jack. "We should get going. Mr. Lancer might know where he is."

On the ride there, Jack brainstormed everywhere Danny might have been hiding. There were Tucker and Sam's houses, but Sam's parents hated Danny, and definitely wouldn't allow him to stay there, and Tucker's parents were friends of the Fentons, and would notify them if Danny had ran away and gone there. He could've been simply wandering, sleeping in trees and just barely scraping by, but Jack pushed that thought from his mind. He couldn't think about that possibility at the moment.

Danny could've been staying in the ghost zone, somehow. He could've been staying at the school, even. It's not like the school could lock him out, he could just phase through the locked doors. That got Jack thinking - Danny could've truly been anywhere. He could get into virtually any building with ease, and he could travel incredibly fast and effortlessly. There were no limits, which scared Jack. All the sudden, his little boy was forced to grow up because him and his wife had decided to go ghost hunting for the town hero.

The mourning parents entered the school, walking down the empty halls and into Mr. Lancer's classroom.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, please sit," Mr. Lancer motioned to the two chairs strategically placed just in front of his desk.

"Mr. Lancer, thank you so much for calling us, we've been worried sick about Danny. He ran away from home two days ago, and neither of us have heard from him since," Maddie explained.

"Yeah, and with his gho- ow!" Jack yelled as his wife kicked him under the desk. Oh, right, the whole having ghost powers thing was supposed to be kept on the down low. There it was again, Jack's lack of filter ruining everything. He was actually quite intelligent, you know. He was a mathematical genius, but his lack of a filter made him appear to be a lumbering idiot.

"What my husband is trying to say is that Danny could've gotten very far, as he stole some of our lab equipment when he left. It's mostly for hunting ghosts, but Danny's a Fenton, and innovation is, after all, an inherited trait."

"I see," Mr. Lancer seemed to stop and think for a moment. "Well, the entire reason I called you two was because of the marks and bruises that appeared on his face today. Would that have anything to do with him running away?" Jack looked down at his hands in shame, and Maddie took a large, shaky breath. Mr. Lancer must've taken that as a yes, as he got up from his seat, motioning towards the classroom door. "I would appreciate if you both left, I'll be making a phone call to child protective services later this afternoon."

"No, please, Lancer-" Jack began, stopping when he saw Mr. Lancer glare at him. "I mean, _Mr_. Lancer, this is all one big mistake; a misunderstanding, really. We would never do anything to hurt our son, I swear!"

"I'm sorry, but it is my duty as a teacher to report suck things! It's nothing person, Mr. Fenton, it's just my job," Mr. Lancer explained, sighing. "Now, please, don't make this any harder than it has to be," he motioned towards the door.

"Jack," Maddie pulled on her husband's arm, "let's go, we can figure this out, alright?"

"No, Maddie, we can't let him do this!" he yelled, his voice becoming shaky.

"Please, Jack, let's just go!"

He was shaking at this point, tremors rushing through his body. All he could picture, at that moment, was his son's bruised face just after the incident. His eyes were so wide, so shocked and surprised. They seemed to be guilty, as if Danny believed he had done something wrong.

While Jack drove his wife home, he pictured over and over again, the pale green tears falling from his son's eyes, breaking his heart.

* * *

 **Here you go! Hope you guys liked this one (it's a little short, maybe I'll post three chapters this week because I think the next one might be a bit shorter too).**

 **Thank you guys for the reviews, follows, and favorites! Every one of them mean so much to me! Let me just address a few things really quick ~**

 **Wolf 2.0 - you confused me so much right away! I literally copy and pasted your comment into google translate SO MANY times before a friend of mine told me that it was all written backwards! Good job, you definitely stumped me.**

 **Cheshire (sorry I can't spell the first part) - Danny is NOT crying blood, sorry I didn't make this very clear. His tears are just green because he's a ghost (it's kind of a head cannon of mine)**

 **sc188772 - thank you so much! I'll be updating 2-3 times a week, and no, unfortunately the box ghost won't be in this story, sorry! However, I can't answer the rest of your questions without spoilers, so you'll just have to wait and read!**

 **Thanks guys!**

 **~ Ashtyn**


	5. Paulina

_Paulina's POV_

* * *

The Fentons may have had less money than Paulina, but for all it was worth, they were far richer. They knew so much about ghosts. To be completely honest, it made her jealous. She wished she could've bought the knowledge the Fentons had about ghosts with her daddy's credit card, but it didn't work that way. The Fentons insisted on keeping their research private, no matter ho much money investors threw at them. So, of course she was jealous. That is, until she overheard a conversation about what it was _actually_ like to be a Fenton.

Paulina was waiting after school one day to take a test she'd missed in Mr. Lancer's class when she was gone a few days earlier with the flu. That's right, even the rich and beautiful got sick. She talked with her friends for a few minutes just outside of the school doors before making her way back to the bald teacher's classroom. The moment she heard voices talking solemnly from within the confines of the room, Paulina pressed herself up against the wall, trying her best not to make a sound.

She was used to snooping around and not getting caught. She learned that she had to be after the one time she got caught listening to her mom and dad arguing about a waitress at a dinner her dad liked to go to.

"I see," Paulina heard Mr. Lancer sigh, pausing for a moment. "Well, the entire reason I called you two was because of the marks and bruises that appeared on his face today. Would that have anything to do with him running away?"

An eery silence leaked out of the room. Whoever Mr. Lancer was talking to had . . . oh, God no. Paulina covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes while she looked down at her chest, hiking her shirt slightly up to see a deep purple bruise just under her bra line. She let the pink fabric fall against her skin once again, taking a deep breath. Whoever they were talking about, Paulina's heart went out to them.

"I would appreciate if you both left, I'll be making a phone call to child protective services later this afternoon," Mr. Lancer explained. There was an audible gasp, and the sound of a woman sobbing.

"No, please, Lancer- I mean, _Mr_. Lancer, this is all one big mistake; a misunderstanding, really. We would never do anything to hurt our son, I swear!" she heard a deep, masculine voice thunder.

"I'm sorry, but it is my duty as a teacher to report suck things! It's nothing person, Mr. Fenton, it's just my job. Now, please, don't make this any harder than it has to be," Mr. Lancer sounded exhausted. Paulina stopped herself from gasping, covering her mouth. Fenton. Mr. Lancer was talking to Danny's parents.

Before she had time to comprehend the situation, a feminine voice, most likely Mrs. Fenton, spoke. "Jack, let's go, we can figure this out, alright?"

"No, Maddie, we can't let him do this!" Mr. Fenton yelled, his voice shaking with what sounded like a mix of rage and self loathing.

"Please, Jack, let's just go!" Mrs. Fenton demanded again. Paulina's eyes widened, and she quickly made her way down the short hallway and into the storage closet just before the Fentons left the classroom.

She was breathing heavily, trying to calm herself. Danny was . . . just like her. Her hands traveled down to her hip, where she felt the large, hand shaped bruise that still lingered from last weekend.

Sure, she knew Danny, if only a little. He was small, lanky, and unthreatening in every single way. But that didn't keep Paulina from watching him. Of course, there was the fact that he was the son of ghost hunters. He was a potential link to the ghost boy. But, there was more than that, too. He seemed normal for a little while, until he started acting . . . weird was the only word that came to mind. Everything he did took on a much more serious tone, like he was trudging through life. Now, Paulina may act like a complete bitch, but that was just a coping mechanism. She was mean to Danny, sure, but only because she wanted to keep him on his toes around her. That seemed to be the only way to get respect in life for pretty girls.

Something else was different about Danny Fenton. Paulina her suspicions about that boy. Absurd thought about who he could be haunted her. Well . . . more like _what_ he could be. The hair. The voice. The glimmer in his eye. He was Danny Phantom in every aspect, except for one thing - Danny Fenton wasn't heroic. Not in the least. Now, he could've been pretending, but Paulina had heard about his grades. It didn't add up if he really was pretending, as well as being the ghost boy, and getting the awful grades he had. But Paulina kept her suspicions.

Of course, she held so much admiration for on Danny Phantom. It was people like him, so pure and caring and compassionate, that made her believe that she could make it. If people like him existed, then maybe there was hope for her after all. And then there was the fact that Danny Fenton appeared to have a huge crush on her. Now, if Danny Fenton was really Danny Phantom, her life would be perfect. But, like she said, it was only a sneaking suspicion. She had to keep Fenton on his toes, otherwise he might start to know her. And God knows that couldn't happen.

Slowly, Paulina opened the closet, peaking out to find the hallway completely empty. She breathed a deep breath, closing the closet door with care before looking at the time. She sighed, knowing that she wouldn't have enough time to take the test now. She had to get home before her dad did and clean for him. The usual.

She began walking home, letting the sun kiss her face while she lifted her eyes to the sky. She sighed, letting herself relax. _Relax while you can_ , she seemed to chant inside her head.

Paulina opened her eyes, looking up at a tree before stopping in shock. Sitting in the tree was none other than Amity Park's favorite ghostly hero; Danny Phantom. She prepared herself to catch his attention - to get him to notice her - but something stopped her. From above her head, a soft sniffling sound rang in her ears.

Paulina's stomach churned. The puzzle pieces fit together inside her head. She wasn't dumb, after all. Of course he was crying, his parents had beaten him. Why else would Danny Phantom be alone, crying, while Danny Fenton's parents scoured the city looking for him. She looked down at the ground, suddenly ashamed for everything she'd said to him. Everything she'd done. All the things she hadn't reported, all the beatings by the A listers. Oh, God.

Half of her wanted to climb up into the tree and put her arm around the young hero and let him cry with her. She wanted to tell him that it happened to her too, nearly every week. She wanted to tell him she was sorry, for everything.

The other half of her, however, was ashamed of herself, of everything she'd done. She had been horrible to him. Now that she'd figured it out - or at least she _thought_ she'd figured it out - she knew that she needed to keep his secret safe. She owed him at least that much.

After a few more moments of mulling it over, the latter half won. She looked down at he ground, deciding not to disturb the injured ghost boy. She had cleaning to do, after all.

While she took a step forward, she felt a single tear fall from above onto her exposed arm. Looking down, she gasped, but still continued to walk home, a single thought running through her head.

 _It's green._

* * *

 **This chapter was probably my favorite to write! I love taking a seemingly shallow and evil character and giving them some depth. You might just see more of that later in this story ;D**

 **Let me know what you guys think! I've already got quite a few reviews, thanks guys! Ilysm, you all made my finals filled week so much better!**

 **(Don't worry, I'll update early in the week, probably Monday or Tuesday, too!)**

 **~ Ashtyn**


	6. Valerie

_Valerie's POV_

* * *

"Where _is_ he?" Valerie yelled, her teeth gritted. Her suit had a few burn marks and holes from her current fight with none other than Skulker. "C'mon, Phantom!"

"Sure, call your little boyfriend, then I'l have TWO new pelts to hang on my wall," the ghostly hunter chuckled heartily.

"First of all, he's _not_ my boyfriend," Valerie shot a beam towards Skulker from her wristband, and he moved out of the way just before it hit him, "and second of all, you're not bringing _either_ of our pelts home with you, got it?"

"Your optimism is hilarious," Skulker shot a missile right at Valerie, which she dodged with difficulty.

"Phantom!" Valerie yelled, her voice crackling with anxiety. "Where the hell are you?!"

"Just face it, the ghost child is done. He's broken, haven't you heard? He's given up. The last two days have been paradise, no more meddling little wanna-be heroes," Skulker smiled, obviously basking in the glory of the disappearance of Danny Phantom.

"No, that's not true. As annoying as Phantom is, he would never give up. That's what makes him even more annoying," Valerie dodged yet another attack, firing a successful attack on Skulker. He fell down to the ground, and Valerie readied her wristband to transport the ghost hunter back to the ghost zone.

"You may have won this time, but he's gone. No matter how many ghosts you put back in the ghost zone, that'll never change!" Skulker yelled, staying on the ground, having given up for the time being.

"Oh, shut up," Valerie retorted, using her wristband to transport Skulker back to the ghost zone.

An unsettling feeling filled Valerie's stomach as the realization hit. Phantom hadn't been around the last two days, when usually he would be there the second a ghost attacked. It did seem a little bit suspicious to Valerie. Looking down at her battered suit, she realized just how much of a beating she had taken because he hadn't been around the last two days.

Valerie wove her hover board expertly through the empty streets. It wasn't even a decision to go looking for Phantom; it was a necessity. Because of him, she had given up her good, safe, normal life. But, also because of him, she'd given up her risk free, unsatisfying life as a normal teenager. Quite frankly, Valerie wasn't sure if she should've punched the ghost boy, or hugged him.

She still held quite a bit of resentment for Phantom, to be completely honest. She was still convinced that all ghosts had a bit of evil in them, no matter how small, and that worried her. If Phantom ever cracked, the results could be devastating. Suddenly, all at once, the sheer force of what Skulker had said hit Valerie. _He's broken_.

She sped up, completely and utterly terrified. She was terrified of what he might do once he'd cracked. She was afraid of who he could become. A small part of her was even afraid for him, like on a personal level. What were to happen if Phantom did something irresponsible in the heat of the moment. She knew he was dead, but there was a point of no return for even the dead.

Cutting Valerie's thoughts off was a faint sound. She came to a halt, continuing to hover in mid air for a few moments. Sniffling. A few strangled breaths. Groaning, as if someone had touched a already sore wound. The teenage ghost hunter pinpointed the origin of the sound, hovering closer to the tree.

"Hello?" she softly whispered, moving a few branches out of the way in order to see who was making the noise.

For a brief second, Valerie caught a glance of a teenage boy. Raven hair and icy eyes. Lanky, pale, and sobbing furiously. Instinctually, it appeared, the boy grew two electric rings around his waist. They moved ceremoniously apart until they had ran through his entire body. In their trail, they replaced jeans with tight hazmat bottoms. A t-shirt with the upper half of the hazmat suit. Sneakers with white boots. Pale, bruised hands with glowing white gloves.

His icy blue eyes turned the same color as ectoplasm. His raven hair turned into snow. Sitting before Valerie was Danny Phantom, who had just previously been Danny Fenton.

"Ah!" Valerie screamed, falling back off of her hover board. Danny gasped, flying down quickly to catch her just before she hit the ground. "What have you done to him? Where's Danny!"

"Shh, you're causing a scene, please be quiet!" Danny - Phantom - whoever he was - shushed.

"Making a scene? You just - but you were just - how am _I_ the one making a scene?!" Valerie flailed in Danny's arms. He set her gently down on her back, and she sprang upright. "Listen, ghost, this is about to get very messy, very soon, so if you don't start explaining, I swear I'll . . . " Valerie trailed off mid-sentence, finally letting her eyes trail over Phantom.

His hazmat suit was torn in a few different places. Where it was torn, a few bandages hastily covered the obvious wounds. Through the wounds, a blood curdling mix of red and green was visible. Valerie could recognize that the green substance was ectoplasm, but for the red . . .

Valerie gasped. "You're bleeding. Like, bleeding . . . _blood._ "

Danny looked down at his wounds, closing his eyes for a few moments before looking back up at Valerie. "Yeah, I know." The usual joking sarcasm that would've accompanied that statement was gone. All that was left was a serious tone that she'd never heard from Danny - neither of them.

"Let me help you, I'm sorry for yelling, I was just-" Valerie began to explain.

"Just what? Shocked? Disgusted?" Danny took a labored, shaking breath. "Disappointed?"

Valerie gasped, seeing as Danny was crying, tears welling up in her ectoplasm green eyes. "No, I mean . . . here, just let me help you, ok?"

Danny shook his head, looking down at the ground. "No, please just leave me alone, alright?"

Without even thinking, Valerie took a small step towards Danny, wiping a tear that had begun trailing down his cheek with her gloved hand. Danny looked up in shock, as if he'd just been electrocuted.

"No, get away from me," he stumbled back, his back pressing against the tree. "Leave me alone!" The teenage hero flew away, not daring to look back.

"Wait! Danny!" Valerie called after him, but it was too late. Danny was long gone.

Valerie leaned against the tree, looking down at her hands. A glimmer caught her eye, and while she looked closer, she saw it. Sitting in a perfectly rounded droplet on her red leather glove was a single green tear.

* * *

 **AAH! I re-read this chapter and realized how short it is, sorry guys!**

 **Honestly, it might be a few more days before I update. I recently started an exersize program, and I've also started a summer job hunt, so wish mem luck!**

 **Als, quick side note, thank each and every one of you for the fantastic reveiws! It means so much that people like my writing, I'm honestly so thankful for everyone who gives any kind of input!**

 **Until next time,**

 **\- Ashtyn**


	7. Maddie

_Maddie's POV_

* * *

She'd done it. She'd done it now, hadn't she. All the threats and the attacks finally worked, and Maddie couldn't feel worse.

Her own son. She'd beaten her own son, and she hadn't even realized it until it was too late. What kind of mother did that? The bad kind, that's who.

Staring at the wall didn't make it better. Crying with Jack didn't make it better. The meeting with Mr. Lancer certainly didn't make it any better. She couldn't turn to Jazz - she'd run away, and was probably long gone. The only reason she was holding on was because of the fact that she knew this couldn't last forever. Maddie's personal hell was one that was sure to be temporary . . . right?

That night in the lab was awful. Among the worst in Maddie's life. No, _definitely_ the worst in Maddie's life. Her two babies left her, and for a good reason. She'd _beaten_ her own son. That line continued repeating himself over and over again. Like a chant that wouldn't quite. That single line had turned into her entire life.

She should've at least been able to realize what was going on. It was hiding right under her nose the entire time, but she'd been too blinded by her own personal ambitions to see what was happening all around her.

She could almost taste the metallic flavor the lab had the night of the incident. Jack and Maddie were testing a new weapon based on a theory about Phantom that had been circulating on the internet.

"Half ghost? I mean, it's possible, in theory . . . " Maddie thought for a few moments. "Yes, it would fit with the fact that Phantom is only seen when he's fighting ghosts. Where does he go the rest of the time?"

"I always just thought he disappeared, but these internet junkies are really onto something!" Jack exclaimed.

"Of course they are Jack. Honey, pass me the wrench?" Maddie asked, motioning toward the wrench just to her husband's left.

"That ghost kid is going down. And once we catch him, we'll rip him molecule from molecule!" Jack exclaimed.

"Now Jack, how will we dissect him if we rip him molecule from molecule? We'll dissect him, and _then_ we'll rip him apart," Maddie responded. She finished tightening the last bolt, stepping back and observing her finished work. Every time she completed a new invention, a swell of pride welled up in her chest. Ever since some of her first inventions back in high school, she savored that feeling. It was her fuel, her passion.

"Mom, dad, I'm home!" Maddie heard Jazz come in the door. A thump signaled her dropping her bag on the ground, followed by her light footsteps down the stairs.

"Jazzikins, come see our new invention! We're going to get that ghost kid for good," Jack smiled at Jazz while she entered the basement.

"Dad, you know you're never going to get Phantom, right? Besides, he does more good than bad, so why not just leave him alone?" Jazz countered.

"Because, Jazz, he's a ghost, and all ghosts are evil," Maddie explained with a fair amount of certainty. She thought she knew what she was talking about, at the time.

The sound of a door closing rang through the house, followed by the sounds of someone panting from upstairs. "Hello? Danny boy, is that you?" Jack asked.

"Uh, yeah," Maddie could hear her son panting from upstairs. His heavy, labored footsteps thudded down the stairs until he came into the basement, exhausted and sweaty.

"What happened, sweetie?" Maddie asked.

"Um . . . gym class today. I'm still catching my breath from, um, fitness tests . . . " Danny trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

Maddie didn't think anything of the excuse. Of course she didn't. The addictive buzz of pride was still flowing through her veins.

"Danny, I think we've found a way to catch the ghost boy once and for all!" Jack said, not even bothering to respond to Danny's excuse. "Say hello to the Ghost Transformer 5000!"

"Basically," Maddie cut in, not trusting her husband to explain it fully without a little help, "we've found a whole bunch of theories on the internet talking about how the ghost boy might actually be half human! Remarkable, isn't it? So, what your father and I were thinking is that if we could use the Ghost Transformer 5000 to see who the ghost boy really is, then we could stop him once and for all!"

"Um, mom, dad, I don't think that's a good idea," Jazz said, stepping between Maddie and Danny in an almost protective manner. Meanwhile, Danny stayed completely silent behind his sister.

"Why not, Jazzikins? He's just a ghost, why do you care so much?" Jack chuckled, as if he'd made a joke.

"You see, all we have to do is put a little bit of the ghost boy's DNA into the machine," Maddie picked up a vile with a single glowing white hair, "and the machine will home into him if he's anywhere nearby. Once it traps him, he will be forcibly transformed."

"Very painfully!" Jack added.

"Yes, Jack, very painfully," Maddie chuckled under her breath. Smiling, she un-corked the vile, taking out the ghostly hair with care.

"Um . . . I think I'm going to, uh, go upstairs and work on some, um, homework. Yeah, there's this project that, uh-" Danny stuttered, trying to make his way upstairs.

"Well, Danny boy, you have to stay here! This could be the invention that catches that Phantom once and for all!" Jack argued, grabbing his son by the arm and dragging him near the machine.

"Well, here we go," Maddie said, taking a few steps towards the machine and placing the single hair inside a small compartment before closing it gingerly. She flicked the switch on, aware, but not fully comprehensive of, her son flinching behind her. The machine roared to life, and Maddie turned back to her husband with a sense of pride welling within her once again. "There, now all we have to do is wait-" Maddie began, quickly cut off when the machine jutted forward. Maddie expertly stepped out of the way, her eyes following the machine as it made it's way closer to her son. "Danny, move out of the way a little, won't you? The machine has got a lead!"

Danny, with terror in his eyes, ran straight to the back of the lab, his back pressing against the work table filled with discarded ectoplasmic weapons. It all happened so fast, Maddie could hardly remember it with full clarity, but while she played the memory over and over in her head, she managed to pick up certain details.

The machine rumbling and sliding towards Danny, no matter how or where he moved. A whirling whizzing noise when it was finally close enough to activate. The large glass dome glowing a slight green, as if recognizing it's prey. The sound of a vacuum, and suddenly her son wasn't standing before her. No, suddenly her son was inside the machine, his knees pressed up against the glass of the incredibly tight space.

About two seconds later, waves of electricity ran through Maddie's little boy. His screams filled the lab. Two electric blue rings formed around his waist, but with a defiant yell, he pushed them away. The electricity intensified. His screams were so thick, Maddie thought she might've been able to reach out and touch them. More electricity ran through him, Danny's head pressing backwards against the glass before the machine grew even more powerful, as if fighting resistance.

Suddenly, the glass top began to crack, crumbling apart all over Danny. One hit him in the face, causing a large cut to cascade down his face. Even without the barrier, Danny appeared unable to move himself to safety, as the electricity finally got the best of him. The two electric blue rings reappeared, flying across his body quickly and with ease. The machine stopped it's assault, But Danny continued to scream, the electricity still bubbling over his skin. Within seconds, he had fallen off of the machine, crashing onto the cement with a thud.

All of this happened within about thirty seconds. Laying on the ground before Maddie was Danny Phantom, Amity Park's resident ghost hunter.

Instinctively, Maddie pulled out an ectoplasmic gun, aiming it at the ghost boy. Jazz, as if snapping out of a trance, ran in front of the ghost, who was still lying on the ground and moaning while the electricity continued to fly over his skin. "Jasmine, move out of the way! Whatever that is is not your brother! But don't worry, we're going to get him back," Maddie assured.

Jazz stayed in her crouched position over the young ghost. "No, this is Danny, mom. I'm not going to let you hurt him!"

"Move out of the way!" Jack demanded, grabbing his daughter by the arm and forcing her to th ground a few feet away from Phantom. Maddie steadied her weapon, finally shooting at the ghost with a missile. The missile hit him square in the stomach, and he was thrown back against the cement wall with a sickening _thud_. Those green eyes opened slowly in defiance, and Maddie took that as an attempt to fight.

"Give me my son back, ghost!" Maddie yelled, her hands shaking. Jazz screamed from across the room, trying once again to run over to the ghost boy, but still being held back by Jack.

"Mom! That's _Danny_! That _is_ your son!" Jazz yelled.

Danny stood up shakily, his legs wobbling. His suit was torn, and an odd mixture of ectoplasm and something red was running from the cuts. The scrape across his face was gone, which mystified Maddie. She, at the moment, wanted nothing more than to get a sample of whatever that red stuff was, as well as figure out exactly what the ghost's healing capabilities were.

"Mom, it's me," Danny's voice was weak - unstable. He looked at her with glowing green eyes. They pleaded for her to believe him. Maddie felt herself gasp, dropping the gun for a moment. A hand covered her mouth while the falling gun clanged to the ground. Leaning up against the work bench, Danny transformed again, obviously out of strength. Falling to the ground was Maddie's son.

Before he hit the ground, Danny's face slammed against the work bench with a painful _whack_. He fell to the ground, his face against the hard cement. Maddie, in a daze, ran over to her son, cradling his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair, and as he slowly opened his eyes, she saw her son looking back at her. Her son, not some ghost. Although she wasn't sure how it was possible, Maddie was sure of it. This was her son. And, somehow, so was Phantom.

Danny sprung to his feet, wincing, and took a few steps away from Maddie. His eye had already begun bruising grom the fall, along with a split lip in addition to the cut across his cheek. Maddie, wordlessly, reached a single hand out to him, but he backed up in fear.

"Danny," she whimpered, her entire body shaking. She couldn't believe what she'd done. Danny shook his head, transforming with urgency and flying through the ceiling.

All that was left in the lab were Jazz's screams, the smell and taste of metal, and a single green tear, fallen from the face of Maddie's baby boy.

* * *

 **Flashback! FInally, you guys know what happened to Danny, and how all of this started!**

 **So, I've decided to keep up posting 2 chapters a week, as well as starting to write a sequel to this story! That's right, you guys get a sequel, too! More information is on the way, but I'm really excited about this new idea I just got the other day.**

 **Make sure to keep followng, favoriting, and reviewing! I love seeing new reviews, they mean so, so much to me! Thank you to everyone who has commented on this story, it means so much.**

 **Until next time!**

 **\- Ashtyn**


	8. Sam

_Sam's POV_

* * *

Danny was amazing. Nothing about him was bad. Ok . . . that was a lie, there were some things that were 'bad' about him, but not bad as in evil. Bad as in the fact that sometimes, he chewed with his mouth open, or that when he got really stressed he got angry easily, or that his hero complex was sometimes confusing to Sam. But all things considered, these 'bad' things weren't actually all that bad. They were quirks, and Sam loved every one of them.

After Sam pointed out that Danny was chewing with his mouth open, he got all flustered and red-faced, and his nose wrinkled in a cute little way. Although Danny got angry when he got stressed, right after he would snap at you, he'd go on this long, extremely truthful and sincere apology. The hero complex, although it was something that bugged Sam to no end, was one of the best thing about Danny. He saved people. Every. Single. Day. He was a hero, and that was hardly anything to complain about.

Sam just wished Danny would've seen things this ways. That even though he has flaws, she loved him for them. Love might be a bit of a strong word . . . but if Sam were to say that she loved Danny aloud, she wouldn't take it back. Not by any means.

Ever since Danny faced his asshole future self, he'd been acting more stressed than usual. He got angry easily, not at others, but at himself. Punching walls became a daily occurrence, and of course, Danny always turned to her to patch up his hands. He wouldn't let her patch up the larger wounds on his chest and stuff like that, but he never turned to Tucker for his hands. It was always Sam's job to deal with his bleeding, scarred, and bruised knuckles. It'd gotten to the point where everyday, Danny would come around the same time to get some help with his knuckles, as if on a schedule. Sam was always expecting him.

That happened for a few weeks until one night, Danny didn't show up. Sam had half a mind to call him, but they'd never really made plans. It wasn't like he'd bailed on her, he just . . . must not have needed help that night. She should've been glad, he might've finally stopped hurting himself. But on some level, she wasn't glad. She wanted to protect him, to help him. As weird as it sounds, helping Danny with his hands seemed like the only way Sam could help him. The only way she could pay him back for everything he'd done. She knew it was stupid, but she couldn't keep herself from theorizing about these kinds of things.

The day after Danny's sudden absence, Sam pulled him aside after class while Tucker struggled to figure out some technological difficulties he was experiencing. She'd noticed the marks on his face, and asked him what happened, if he was ok, how she could help - the things she usually asked when Danny was hurt.

To her surprise, Danny blew her off, telling her over and over again that he couldn't talk about it. "I just can't," he kept repeating, almost as if it was rehearsed.

He eventually ended up storming out of the school, not even waiting for Tucker. Sam tried to catch up to him, but he was long gone by the time she made it out of the school.

Sam thought that was going to be the last she saw of Danny for a while. Tucker pulled her aside after Danny's little outburst and described what he believed was going on.

"They found out? How?" Sam questioned.

Tucker shrugged his shoulders, an expression of worry painting his face. "I don't know, but from what I could pick up, they definitely know."

Sam tried to call Jazz's cell to see if she could get anymore information out of the situation. All she got was the operator telling her that the number she was calling no longer existed. Whatever happened must've been bad. Really bad. Sam knew that Jazz would never give up her phone unless something serious had happened - she loved it too much. She also knew that Jazz couldn't have changed her number without getting a new phone, which Sam also knew was impossible, as she wouldn't dare do something that made her have to give everyone a new number. All of that combined with the fact that Jazz hadn't been at school that day told Sam that Tucker was onto something; something terrible had happened.

After the failed attempt to call Jazz, Sam seemed to have hit a dead end. She couldn't find any more clues about where Danny was. Even though ghosts continued attacking at the same rate as before, Danny was nowhere to be found. A reporter had even noted that while Skulker was fighting the Red Huntress, he'd stated that Danny Phantom had "broken". Whatever that meant - and how Skulker, of all ghosts, found out - was unclear to Sam. It bothered her that all she was being thrown seemed to be pieces of mismatched puzzles.

The next day, when Sam showed up to school, she was anxious to see if Danny would show. Tucker told her that Danny hadn't stayed with him the night before, so he had no clue where he went. Walking into the homeroom she shared with Danny, Sam was surprised to see him there. He was just . . . sitting. Looking at the wall while wearing an expressionless mask.

"Danny, you're here," Sam gasped, sliding into the desk next to his. "What happened? Where have you been? Tucker and I have been worried sick!" Danny simply sat there, ignoring Sam's presence completely and continuing to stare straight in front of him. "Danny? Hello?" Sam waved her hand in front of her best friend's face, wishing he would do something - anything.

 _Careful what you wish for_ , isn't that how the saying goes?

While Sam lowered her hand Danny turned slowly to Sam, his face remaining expressionless. "Look, Sam, could you _please_ just fuck off," was all he said before turning to look in front of him again.

Never had Sam seen Danny so devoid of emotion, so . . . serious. His eyes were tired and bloodshot, with rings underneath them. His shirt was a mess, wrinkled and even torn in a few places. The cut under his eye appeared to be on its way to getting infected, as was his split lip, and his black eye had turned a dark mix between black and yellow-green. His icy blue eyes seemed to have frozen over. Sam couldn't read him, and that scared her.

Ever since they were young, Sam could tell when Danny was lying, or when he was upset, angry, sad, scared; she could tell exactly what Danny was thinking. But this - this was something entirely different. Sam wasn't even quite sure if the boy sitting in front of her was Danny anymore.

And that comment. That comment wasn't him. He'd never talk to Sam that way unless something was seriously wrong. She tried not to take it personally, but she still couldn't get those words out of her head. They bounced around over and over again until her mind went numb.

Not knowing what to say, Sam turned wordlessly towards the front of the classroom, where she watched as their homeroom teacher walked in. Homeroom was a loud as usual, with the usual tired, rowdy students talking and laughing with one another. But Danny and Sam simply looked ahead at the front of the room, and eerie silence standing between them. When the bell finally rang, Sam turned back to Danny to catch one last glance of him before she went off to math across the building from the teenage hero.

Trickling down his face was a single, ectoplasm colored tear, and then he was gone.

* * *

 **I'm so sorry this took so long to update! I've been a lot busier than normal with things, but I swear I'll update sooner next chapter!**

 **So, I know this chapter is quite a bit shorter, but it's more of a how things have changed kind of chapter. I hope you guys like it! Remembebr to review and follow and favorite! Thank everyone for all of the support!**

 **Until next time,**

 **\- Ashtyn**


	9. Jazz

_Jazz's POV_

* * *

Cold. Jazz was cold. She shivered even when she wrapped herself in as many blankets as she could find. She could feel the cold cement against her side even when she was lying in the soft, meticulously made bed of the hotel. She could taste the metal. She could smell the blood. More than anything though, she could hear the screams. God, the screams.

She shivered again, lying on her side and staring at the empty wall. It was a creme color, and completely devoid of decorations. With a shudder, she closed her eyes, her heart roling over in her chest. She closed her eyes, trying her best to push the memory from her head without any success. Before she could even attempt to distract herself, the icy cold enveloped her mind, trapping her in the lab of her parent's basement.

When she eagerly wandered down the stairs, Jazz wasn't expecting the night to go the way it had went by any means. She had just gotten home from hanging out with her friends, setting her bag down with a thud before meeting her parents in the basement. The second she saw that . . . that _thing,_ her blood ran cold. She shivered. She did every time she cam home to a new invention designed to kill her little brother.

Her parents briefly explained what the machine did, and Jazz felt it again, that time more intense. Cold. A shiver running through her entire body, and a tremor shaking her heart. Jazz couldn't remember the specific words they said. She never could when she remembered things like this, but she could remember the message. They wanted to expose Phantom. They finally got it right. Half human, half ghost. They'd figured it out, and Jazz had to somehow pretend that she wasn't terrified for her brother's life. Or afterlife. Or half life?

The sound of Danny walking in the door. Heavy thudding footsteps. A squeeze to the heart. _Calm down, please calm down, you can't give anything away, calm down!_ she chanted in her head. Her brother's face was shocked, but only for a moment. Then, complete composition. That was what Jazz strived for. Complete composition in times of danger. She would never obtain it, of course, but she strived.

Their parents explaining to Danny what the machine was. He tried to get away, tried to flee. Jazz's heart rate sky rocketed. They made him stay.

This is when things got difficult. Fuzzy to remember. Something about science. DNA. A single white hair. How did they get a single white hair? How did they get Danny's hair? Where did they find it? For some reason, her mind clung to that specific detail, as if it was a life raft. Little did she know that the life raft she chose to cling to was going under. Soon, she'd be drowning in icy water, trying to stay afloat long enough to inhale a gasp of air before gong under once again.

The next she could remember, she was watching her brother engulfed in green electricity. The beams arced over his skin in a series of different patterns. Jazz covered her mouth to keep from screaming, still clinging to composition. She was still trying to keep a secret that was long gone. Still fighting a battle that had just been lost.

A gash across the cheek. Glass falling like pointed rain. A misplaced strong will. Screams. A shiver. A room washed in the harsh glow of betrayal and electricity.

Finally, the final blow struck. His strength shattered like glass. It left scars on all of them. Jazz. Maddie. Jack. Each felt a gash across the cheek to match Danny's. They each felt the impact of the final scream of defiance. It was like being hit by a bus.

A gun. Pointed at Jazz's little brother. It was her job to protect him, and in that moment, she was failing him. Who was supposed to protect him if his parents were pointing guns instead of doing their job?

Jazz didn't think. She didn't even have to make a decision. It was pure instinct that pulled her in front of her brother, shielding him from the attack by her mother. Shouting. Arguing. She was failing. She was failing him because Maddie wouldn't believe her.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a strong arm was looped around her own. The thud of cement rang inside her head. Ringing in one ear served as a temporary distraction from the reality of the situation. A jarring thud brought her back to life. Her head snapped to a white haired, emerald eyed hero. She couldn't remember his wounds. All she could remember was that the more she looked at him, the more she started to sob and heave. Her entire body was shaking.

Flailing and screaming, Jazz kicked and scratched, her fingernails grabbing onto her father's skin and pulling until her hands were covered in blood. She was failing. He was dying. The world was shaking, and her eyes were crying.

Shaking, Danny pulled himself to his feet. She saw saw his mouth move, but none of the words registered. A gun clanging to the ground. In slow motion, a raven haired boy with icy blue eyes drifted towards the ground. Gravity became the enemy, and with a sickening _whack_ , Jazz went limp. Danny was hurt, and Jazz had let it happen. The world around her was spinning. The blood. Oh, God, the blood. It was everywhere.

The cold of the cement tickled the left side of her. Tears blurred her vision. With difficulty, she saw her mother run over to Danny, cradling his head. Jazz's world went black for just a moment, and suddenly, he was gone. Her mother was screaming. Her father was next to her, sobbing.

Now, Jazz's thoughts were clouded by a raw, powerful instinct to run. She needed to leave. She needed to go. She had failed, and if she stayed in that place, she didn't think she could've trusted herself to find the strength to find him again. She needed to find him. It was her fault this had happened, and she needed to make it right.

With difficulty, Jazz sprung to her feet, looking down at her shaking, bloody hands before bolting out of her childhood home. She ran into the street, looking up at the sky for any sign of him. Anything to tell her that he was at the very least alright would've sufficed. She wandered the streets, aimlessly yelling his name into the open air. The cold shook her bones, and she shivered.

Suddenly, the scene around her melted away, dumping her back in the empty hotel room like a pile of trash. Her hair was stuck to her face thanks to the sweat. She was sobbing, her chest moving up and down so hard that she thought it was going to explode. She let out a strangled scream, continuing to hyperventilate.

From above her, she heard sniffling. Her head snapped up, her numb lips shaking while she asked hesitantly, "Who's there?"

No further sound came from above. Whoever had been there had decided to stay quiet, most likely in hopes to keep Jazz off of her guard. "Hello?" she whimpered again, her voice quivering almost as much as her hands.

From the air, a single drop of water fell, and suddenly, the sniffling returned for just a moment before moving farther and farther away. Jazz looked down at her hand, gasping and continuing to cry once again when she saw a single emerald colored droplet sitting like acid on her hand.

* * *

 _Sorry it took so long to update! I've been so busy with mY NEW JOB AND DRIVERS LICENSE! I mean, it's not exacttly an excuse, but it has kept me realy busy._

 _Anyways, ya know that sequel I was talking about? Well, that seems to be a dead end, because I reallyl don't have any motivation to write that one. What I DO have motivation to write, however, is a completely different DP related fanfic! I'll reveal exactly what it is after the epilogue for this one, which isn't coming for a few chapters, so heads up!_

 _Anyways, I'm really, really proud of this chapter. I was just editing it and I was really impressed with my past self to be honest. Let me know what you guys thing!_

 _Seriously, I really love reveiws. They're my inspiration and motivation, and each one means so much to me!_

 _Till next time,_

 _\- Ashtyn_


	10. Dash

_Dash's POV_

* * *

Dash was doing fine before things with Fenton started to get weird. At least he though he was doing fine. Sure, he had a few rough patches here and there, but he was good enough at pretending and piecing himself back together for nobody to notice. He was on the top of the school, and he didn't care who he had to step on to get there. And then Fenton came in and changed everything. It only took one day for things to take a turn for the worst.

Dash was so caught up in his usual routine that he hadn't even noticed the bruises and cuts of Danny's face. None of them were from Dash. He may have been an asshole, but he'd never hurt anyone that badly. Actually, he didn't even think he could bring himself to attempt to leave that much damage. Fenton's eye was dark purple and swollen shut with splotches of yellow-green around it. His lip was recovering from being split open, a jagged and painful looking scab zig-zagging down his bottom lip. He had a large gash across his face, which appeared to be swollen and on the verge of carrying an infection.

Of course, the moment Dash pushed Danny up against the locker, something else distracted him from the wounds. Danny's breath rattled within his chest, as if the small act of the push had dislodged something within his chest, which confused Dash. Something so small couldn't have possibly done anything that detrimental, right? Dash was strong, sure, but he knew how to control his strength. He wasn't any kind of monster.

Just after the rattled breath, Danny wheezed, coughing while he hunched over. He held his hand over his mouth, pulling it away after a few labored coughs covered in a mixture of dark red and glowing green pigmentation.

Dash gasped, stumbling back slightly while Danny looked up. Tears were streaming down his face. "Fenton, I- here, let's get you out of here," Dash, without thinking, pulled Danny by the arm into the nearby locker room. He sat Danny down on one of the benches, glad that the locker room was empty at the moment.

He inspected the raven haired boy, finally comprehending the marks across his face. With care, he grabbed one of the white towels, running it under hot water from one of the nearby shower heads and pressing it against the boy's cheek. "Hold that there, Fenton, otherwise it'll get infected."

Dash instinctively pulled up Danny's shirt, hoping to inspect whatever damage had been done to his stomach, only to find nothing. Not even any bruising. Dash looked up at the boy, his eyes knit in worry. "Where's the bruises? judging by the fact that you're bleeding internally, there should, at the very least, be some mild bruising," Dash said, looking once again at Fenton's stomach.

Danny didn't say a word, simply staring in front of him with tears in his eyes. Dash let the fabric fall down to the boy's stomach before grabbing a small flashlight out of his pocket and shining it carefully in his eyes to check for any signs of a concussion. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

"D- Dash," Danny finally spoke up. "What are you doing? Where did you learn to do all of this?"

Dash turned off the flashlight, sliding it back into his pocket. Looking at Danny for a brief moment with expressionless eyes, he let himself sit on the bench next to him, sighing. "I've wanted to be a doctor all my life, but my parents want me to do football instead. I've already got a scholarship lined up, and my grades aren't really med-school ready. So I started teaching myself and buying my own textbooks," Dash explained.

What he didn't mention was that the only way he was even able to afford buying those textbooks was by stealing lunch money. Actually, some of Danny's lunch money had been used to buy one of his more expensive textbooks. The only way Dash was able to stand himself was because he'd convinced himself that if he took kids' lunch money now, he'd be able to help so many people in the future. Somehow, he'd do something with everything he'd learned in those textbooks. He didn't care what it was, but he wanted to help people.

Yes, that thought might seem a little ironic considering the fact that Dash beat people like Fenton up every day. He had anger issues, and being a high schooler with parents who were gone so often he may as well not have even had any, there was hardly any other way for him to sort things out. But, looking at Danny while he coughed up blood made Dash's heart sink. He knew that it was medically impossible for what Dash did to cause internal bleeding, but he'd contributed to it, which was an awful realization to come to.

Danny just sat there, his hands covered in blood and . . . something else. For the first time, Dash realized that whatever was on his hands wasn't just blood. Danny was coughing up something green and glowing. He reached out to inspect Danny's hands and try to determine what exactly he was coughing up, but Danny pulled away, his eyes meeting Dash's for the first time that day.

"It happened about three days ago, right?" Dash asked, looking at the bruise encircling Danny's eyes. Slowly, he nodded, a look of slight confusion cluttering his eyes. "It looks like it'll take a few more days for the swelling to start going down, but you should ice it. Also, wash out that cut, and actually, you should probably get it looked at by a professional, because it looks like it might be infected," Dash continued to list off suggestions. "Good news, though, is that your lip is healing really well. Once the scab starts to peel, don't pick at it, just let it come off on its own."

Danny nodded, sniffling while more tears poured out of his eyes. His lip quivered when he suddenly placed his head in his hands, which were still covered in blood and . . . something else. He began sobbing, his chest heaving with each sob. "Dash, you're being so nice to me. Why?" Danny asked between heaves.

Dash was taken aback by the comment. Sure, Dash hadn't always been that nice to Danny, but for him to be confused as to why Dash was helping him when he was injured seemed a little over the top. Of course Dash would help Danny when he's coughing up blood. What kind of person did Danny think he was? What kind of person leaves someone on the ground to suffer like Danny obviously was?

"I . . . look Fenton, I'm only going to say this once, so listen up," Dash couldn't help but let some bitterness leak into his voice. "I really don't mean to be that mean to you. It just kinda happens. You actually seem like a pretty cool kid, for an underclassman. But it's hard to control myself, ok? And, I mean, what did you expect me to do, just leave you sitting there on the ground coughing up blood and . . . something else? Hey, by the way, what the hell is that stuff?" Dash asked, curiosity filling his eyes while he watched Danny's eyes widen in terror.

"Um, nothing. I, uh, really have to get going, um, ok?" Danny managed, somehow to get up, but put a hand on his stomach in pain the second he did.

"Here, Fenton, let me help you ou-" Dash began, but Danny cut him off by nearly bolting out of the locker room and around the corner. Dash came out into the hallway, running around the corner only to be met with a dead end.

On the floor, a trail of tears that had obviously been left by Fenton glittered, stopping at the end of the hallway, as if leading to nowhere. Dash crouched to the ground, investigating the tears. Each one glittered a light hue of green, just like whatever Danny had been coughing up earlier.

* * *

 **I'm back! It took extremely long to update and I'm really sorry, but this story is about to wrap up! I've got one more chapter and an epilogue, so stay tuned for that!**

 **Thank you guys so, so much for the amazing reviews, it means to much to me! Literally every time I get a review I get so happy, thank you all for the support!**

 **I'll update sooner this time, I promise, ok?**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ashtyn**


	11. Vlad

_Vlad's POV_

* * *

Daniel Fenton was a true mystery. Sure, Vlad pretended he knew everything about the boy, but in all reality, he knew nothing about him. Daniel was a true mystery to him, along with everyone else, so it seemed. The boy wanted nothing more than to save people. How completely immature. He would never earn a living that way. Did he know how much heroes got paid? Trick question; they didn't get paid at all.

Vlad could picture the way the young hero would counter him, telling him about all of the people he was saving, or how he was simply a 'fruit loop'. As much as He hated that nickname, Vlad did have to admit that it was something that intrigued him about Daniel even further. He somehow pretended to be light hearted around his friends and family. Vlad seemed to be the only one who picked up hints that he was doing less than ok.

Even before whatever caused Daniel to act outwardly depressed, Vlad could see the cracks beginning to form. After all, he's seen the same fractures in the mirror for several years. All he had to do was close his eyes to imagine the confusion Danny was dealing with. Was he really dead? Was he even alive? How had it happened? More importantly, _why_ had it happened? They were all questions the two halfas shared.

Knowing that Daniel was beginning to break, Vlad shouldn't have been nearly as surprised by that day's events as he was. Even though he'd felt the tension lurking beneath the surface, he would've never predicted what the young hero had decided to resort to.

Daniel was in Amity Park, as was Vlad that day. The elder halfa was flying through the city, letting the sun touch his skin and trying to relax for once. Suddenly, partway through his flight, he was stopped by the sound of energy pulsing through the air. He recognized as none other than the sound of Daniel transforming.

Vlad's eyes snapped open, searching the open air for any sign of the ghost child. Suddenly, his gaze landed on the sight of a raven haired teenager falling limply through the air. They had to be at least a hundred stories up. Vlad looked around for any ghosts that may have caused the transformation, finding none. He waited a moment more in hopes that Daniel would wake up and float himself to safety. After a few more seconds, the the teenager continued falling, and Vlad forced himself out of his daze, flying as quickly as possible and catching the boy mid-air.

"Let me go!" Daniel yelled, kicking and screaming, causing Vlad to nearly drop him from about twenty stories in the air.

"Daniel, calm down, I just caught you!" Vlad hissed, impatience tainting his voice.

"I know! Let me down! Drop me, you fruit loop!" Danny continued to kick and scream. With a sickening feeling of dread, Vlad realized just what the boy was asking him to do. With a sigh, he flew them both over to a nearby building, dropping the young hero from about two feet up with a light thud. He landed on his back, completely sprawled out. "Uh," he groaned in pain.

* * *

"Yes, Daniel, _uh_ is right. Now can you image what you'd be feeling if I had let you continue falling?" Vlad questioned, continuing to float just above the ground.

"Nothing, Vlad. I would feel nothing right now. That's the whole point," Danny cried, letting tears stream down his face. He gasped and sputtered, as well as coughing harshly.

"No, Daniel, you most certainly _would_ be feeling something right now if I'd truly let you fall. You'd be in far more pain than you've ever been in," Vlad floated down, letting his feet touch the roof of the building with ease. "As a matter of fact, I would contend that you wouldn't even be able to imagine the level of pain you would be experiencing at this moment."

"Oh, what, and you could?" Daniel spat.

"Yes," Vlad stated matter of factly. Danny's head tilted up to him, and Vlad couldn't keep himself from gasping at the sight of his battered face.

"What do you mean you could imagine it? And how do you know it wouldn't have killed me, anyways? I was like, really high up," Daniel retorted.

"Because, I've tried it myself," Vlad's words came out with an edge he hadn't intended to place on them. Daniel's eyes widened, watching while Vlad transformed into his human form and took a seat next to him, helping the teenager into a much more comfortable sitting position.

"But, that doesn't even make sense. You love your life, you love being evil," Daniel said it as if it was more of a question than a statement.

"Well, sure, now I love my life. But right away after the accident, I was devastated. Almost as much as you were just after you gained your powers," Vlad explained.

"I wasn't devastated," Daniel stated defensively.

"Oh, of course you were, Daniel. You may be good at fooling your friends, but you can't fool me. I was where you are after my accident. Everything I'd had to live for was gone. I was wondering what had happened, and why it had to happen to me. You were probably wondering the same things. Actually, I'd be willing to contend that you still are wondering," Vlad's voice carried a fair amount of seriousness.

Daniel looked down at his hands, which were covered in dried ectoplasm and blood. He shook his head, closing his eyes and letting more tears fall. "Why? Why me? I never did anything wrong. It's so hard, Vlad, always being expected to do the right thing. It's like I don't even get to be a kid anymore. You don't understand what it's like to have your childhood ripped away from you."

"Don't I?" Vlad asked, his eyebrows scrunching together. "I was only in college when it happened. I was on my way to becoming an inventor. I was going to be a genius before your idiot of a father turned me into what I am today. If I hadn't gotten my powers, I wouldn't have needed my powers to make me rich - I would've been able to climb to the top. I was on the verge of multiple breakthroughs. And then, suddenly, just like that, I was infected. I couldn't think the same way anymore. I believe the ectoplasm in our system causes us to think differently, you know. Suddenly, all my hard work was for nothing. Not only had I lost my childhood, but I'd lost the rest of my life as well."

Daniel stared at Vlad, taking in every word. Silence stood between them for a long minute before Danny finally gathered the courage to ask, "What did you mean when you said the fall wouldn't have killed me?"

"We can't die," Vlad stated. "I've tried dying, but it simply doesn't work. We get immortality from the ectoplasm, and human pain and emotion from the blood."

"Wait, so you're saying that we can't . . . " Daniel looked at Vlad in awe, trailing off. He took a shaking breath, letting himself close his eyes and shed another few tears. "How?"

"I don't know, Daniel, but I'm certain. I've tried everything, and nothing works. It's better to just accept it, there's much less pain involved in that," Vlad sighed, remembering the pain of the late night trials he had conducted on himself. He remembered the feeling of waking up in the morning and being disappointed to find himself still alive.

"That's not actually true, right? You're just messing with me," Daniel tried to convince himself, denial skewing his thoughts.

"Now, why on _earth_ would I joke about this?" Vlad asked. When Danny stared at Vlad answerless, he took that as a sign to explain. "I don't know exactly how it works, but we don't die. As a matter of fact, I haven't aged a day since my accident. I've had to make myself look older in hopes of tricking the people around me into believing that I am getting older."

Daniel began to shake while the full impact of Vlad's words hit him. "That's why I haven't changed. I was _growing_ before the accident, and now I'm just . . . " he began to cry again.

Vlad sighed. Seeing the young hero this way shattered his heart. "I'm sorry Daniel. I do have to admit that the fact that you're so young must be truly devastating. But, as much as I know you hate me, I can help you. I know you don't agree with my tactics, and you don't have to, but we're in this together. Neither of us are dying, Daniel. We have to look out for each other, even if we don't necessarily agree with one another."

Daniel looked up at Vlad. Obviously for the first time in days, he smiled, his eyes crinkling in the corners. Vlad placed a hand on the young boy's shoulder.

Together, their green tears fell onto the room of the old warehouse.

 ** _Well,, guess who's the worst?_**

 ** _im so sorry for not updating for so long! I've been extremely busy (that's no excuse though). I will be uploading the epilogue either later today or tomorrow FOR SURE, so stay tuned!_**

 ** _~ Ashtyn_**


	12. Epilogue

_Danny's POV_

* * *

Life was one of the scariest things Danny had ever faced. Sure, death used to scare him, but now that he knew he was immune, life was the far more vicious monster he had to worry about. He faced it everyday, convincing himself that soon the rough punches it hit him with would begin to sting less and less.

After talking to Vlad, the pain was already beginning to dull. Of course, Danny still thought he was a fruit loop, but at least he was a fruit loop with a heart.

The first person who crossed Danny's mind on his way home was Tucker. Tucker had helped him, bandaging the wounds from the missiles and giving him a place to stay that first night after the incident. He hadn't even given his best friend a word of notice before leaving. The guilt plagued his mind, and Danny vowed to never hurt him again.

Mr. Lancer had looked at Danny with so much compassion that day in class. Whatever he was thinking had happened, He knew enough not to stop Danny on his way out. Danny was glad he hadn't stopped him, as if he had, Danny may have let something slip without thinking about it.

His dad was the one who had held Jazz down from protecting him, Danny realized, must not have hated him either. He was simply trying to protect Jazz, which Danny should've appreciated, as it was something he did every day.

Paulina had seen him and decided, for some reason, not to bother him. She tried to hide it, but it was obvious that she'd seen him. For some reason, she found the will not to completely fangirl over him. Something about the kindness she treated him with made him suspicious. Danny would have to keep an eye on her, and make sure that he didn't let anything slip.

And then there was Valerie. Everything about that encounter made his head spin. He knew he was foolish to transform in front of her, but he was off his game. The blood loss had been making him dizzy, and his instincts took over before he could stop himself. She looked so shocked. She asked what he'd done with Danny, as if it wasn't him standing in front of her. He should've known that she was just confused. Of course she was confused. Danny had just dropped a bomb on her. What he should've been paying attention to was the sympathy in her voice when she tried to help him.

His parents knew. They _knew_. Danny was terrified and relieved at the same time, his mind swirling with possibilities. His mother had looked at him and cried. Before, he thought she was scared and disappointed in him, but now he realized that those tears were those of guilt. She felt bad for what she'd done, Danny realized.

Suddenly, Danny's mind drifted to Sam. _She must hate me_ , he told himself. _What I did and said to her was awful_. All she had tried to do was help, and Danny thanked her by pushing her away. She'd been his best friend longer than anyone - even Tucker. She had helped him bandage his fists, a secret that even Tucker was unaware of, as he only hurt himself when he was in his ghost form, and the white hazmat gloves were perfect for hiding bandages. She was amazing, and somehow managed to stand next to Danny through everything that happened. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he would do without her. He knew that he would do whatever he had to to make things better between the two of them.

Dash had actually, for once in Danny's high school career, treated him with compassion. He'd shared his dreams of becoming a doctor with him, but the second things became too real, Danny ran away. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Dash's comments. They almost sounded like an apology, which confused Danny to no end. Sure, he knew that Dash had emotions, but he never would've imagined that he could've been as kind as he had been for a few moments. He definitely needed to figure out how he was going to deal with that whole situation. And then there was Jazz to worry about, too.

Jazz. The only parent Danny ever needed. She had her mind set on protecting him, refusing to let him get hurt. The more he thought about her, the more he could hear her screams. He was going to go talk to her at her hotel, he really was, but the moment he saw her screaming in that hotel bed with blood all over her hands, he couldn't bring himself to talk to her. He couldn't bare to put her through any more pain. He knew that expecting his teenage sister to be his parent wasn't fair to her, but he didn't have a choice before. Now, for the first time, he did.

All of these thoughts spiraled in Danny's head while he instinctively flew to his destination. He knew what he needed to do. Sure, he wasn't going to die or age, but despite the fact that his life had been turned upside down, he still had to make things right. The people around Danny cared about him. He knew that he had to sort everything out before he could even begin to sort through this being immortal stuff.

Finally, the large, brick-shaped hotel came into view. Danny took a deep breath, phasing through the ceiling and into Jazz's bedroom. She was still lying on the bed, her hands continuing to shake.

 _This is where I start to make things better,_ Danny told himself, building up confidence until he finally floated down next to her, grabbing her hand and in turn, causing her to look directly into his eyes just in time to watch a single green tear roll down his face.

* * *

 ** _GUESS WHO'S REALLY HAPPY WITH THIS. [hint, it's me]_**

 ** _its finally over! I worked really hard on this story - I poured my heart and soul into it - and the outcome was so much better that I could've imagined._**

 ** _Thank each and every one of you who read, reviewed,, followed, or favorited this story. All of the encouragement I got gave me that push to keep going with this story, thank you all so, so much._**

 ** _Special thanks to FanficFan920, who messaged me with a great idea for a sequel, which I will be starting on soon. I'll post an author note chapter when I upload the first chapter of the sequel, so stay tuned for now!_**

 ** _As for new stories I've already started working on, I have two more Danny Phantom fan fictions I'm planning on publishing soon. One is a one-shot, the other is a short-story. Brief summaries are below! vvv_**

 ** _First Impressions (one shot)_** ~ Danny was only 13 when he first saw her. She was popular, beautiful, smart, and treated everyone like something from the bottom of her shoe. In other words, Danny was prepared to hate her. But after a brief encounter with Paulina away from everyone else, Danny couldn't keep himself from thinking about her.

 ** _Join the Club (short story)_** ~ It all started with two members of the football team that everyone claimed were straighter than an arrow. Little did they know that their unexpected relationship would send many of Casper High's students into a frenzy, trying desperately to determine what they actually felt. When certain students begin questioning their sexuality and gender identities, the result causes the entire school to change for the better.

 _ **Again, thanks for everything, guys!**_

 _ **~Ashtyn**_


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